December is almost over! Which means… Mariah Carey is following you everywhere you go, it’s acceptable to eat chocolate for breakfast, and there’s an endless supply of peppermint lattes everywhere you look, leftover from Christmas.
Without a doubt, the holiday season is a blast. But if we’re being honest, it’s also a time of stress and excess.
You’re trying to get everything organized in time for Christmas, all while eating copious amounts of food and drinks at your friends’ and family’s celebrations.
While we don’t want to Scrooge all over Christmas, we want to let you know that there’s a middle ground between overdoing it at all of your holiday parties and replacing chocolate with vegetables instead.
A middle ground could be simply factoring in a 20 minute afternoon walk each day, incorporating more protein into your diet, or choosing a good quality wine or gin over a big glass of Bailey’s. There are plenty of ways to keep healthy so that you aren’t pushing aside all of the hard work you’ve done leading up to the holiday season. Here are 5 tips to help you do that…
listen to our podcast about how people are taking care of themselves post-covid.
Switch Things Up in the Kitchen:
There are a handful of easy swaps that can combat the excess indulging and keep you feeling healthy. Why not try sweet potatoes instead of your usual spuds? You can mash them or even roast them. Plus they’re high in fiber, potassium, and vitamin A. Just a handful of essential nutrients that a lot of us miss out on!
When it comes to enjoying a nice drink, think about switching from heavy, creamy drinks to a good quality white tequila with ice and fresh lime (or a nice glass of wine).
There’s plenty of ways to swap foods for tasty, healthy options without them being ‘boring’.
Incorporate More Citrus
Try to begin and end each day with a cup of hot water and lemon. Place a fresh jug of water with sliced-up lemon in your fridge! This is a great, easy way to get the body ready in the morning and is also a great way to detoxify the body during the season of all things sweet!
And, if you’re feeling under the weather (because who doesn’t suffer from a cold this time of year?) add a teaspoon of raw honey to chase the winter bugs away.
Take Care of Yourself
We’re all aware of the importance of exercising and maintaining a healthy, balanced diet. But, this time of year it can be easy to let those good habits slip.
If you’ve already established a routine, do your best to stick to it. Even if that goes out the window, give yourself at least 10 minutes of ‘me time’ every day, so you don’t always feel like you’re running around trying to get things done.
Bring a Healthy Option:
This one is especially helpful if you’ve got plenty of holiday parties to attend. If you’ve been asked to bring a dish along with you, look up a healthy recipe, or a healthy alternative to a Christmas dish online for everyone to enjoy. Christmas parties and buffets don’t have to be full of unhealthy options!
And for our final tip…
Take Some Time
Seriously, do it. You’re likely rushing around all day every day at the moment, so it’s essential to make yourself a hot drink and put your feet up for a moment. You can even find time to play a fun family board game, read a book, or watch your favorite show.
Taking some quality time out of your busy schedule this time of year is essential to de-stress.
Let’s not forget about self-care during the season of giving!
Click to read on ways to stay active.
There you have it, 5 simple ways to not get as stressed and stay healthy this time of year.
If you have any questions or concerns, call or text us at 623.244.9655.
And HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Dr, Nick’s greatest passion is seeing his patients recover from injury and return to their activities that bring them joy.
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